Downhole components such as packers are frequently set by obstruction of the tubing with a ball dropped to a seat, followed by a pressure buildup through a lateral port to hydraulically actuate the slips and sealing elements of the packer. One example of such a packer is the FH Retrievable Packer offered by Baker Oil Tools. This type of packer and others like it have a port through the mandrel of the packer to provide access for the hydraulically actuated mechanisms which set the slips and the packing elements and lock the set position of the packer. The opening in the tubing wall through the packer is a disadvantage because it is a potential leak path.
Packers having this potential leak path have also been combined with a control line which runs completely through the packer mandrel for connection to another tool below the packer, such as, for example, a sliding sleeve valve which is hydraulically operated. One such sliding sleeve valve is available from Baker Oil Tools as the CM design. In these installations, the setting of the packer occurs by obstruction of the tubular, followed by a pressure buildup through the lateral opening in the tubular, through the packer. The operation of the equipment below the packer is independent, through the control line, which runs through the body of the packer.
It is thus an objective of the present invention to eliminate the opening in the tubular wall through the packer. Additionally, it is another objective of the present invention to employ the existence of a control line for not only operation of downhole equipment below the packer, but also for setting and/or releasing of the packer. It is a further objective of the invention to employ a control line to operate one or more discrete downhole hydraulically actuated devices so as to ensure the integrity of the tubing string, which in turn would have no lateral openings and comprise of premium joints over its length. These and other objectives can be better understood by a review of the description of the preferred embodiment below.